REVIEW: Shakespeare’s JULIUS CAESAR at The Hen and Chickens Theatre 4 - 7 June 2025
‘one of the most ingenious productions of Shakespeare seen for many a year’ ★★★★
As we filed in the four actors were already on stage. What they were doing and why wasn’t immediately obvious, pulling and straining at pieces of cloth as if they were in an ancient Roman laundry. What emerged was that we were looking at the full extent of their props and the whole cast of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Hard to believe at first and not at all apparent but what was about to unfold must have been one of the most ingenious productions of Shakespeare seen for many a year.
The action started with energy and movement, a profound contrast to the deep humming soundtrack. That felt like it had been lifted off Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey”. The pace was lively and the scenes moved well with just enough dialogue edited out to keep everyone in the audience well informed about what was happening in the story, whether this was their first time or whether they were a veteran viewer of The Bard’s work.
The breaks between scenes were downtime to allow the audience and the four actors to have a breather. The physical movements were sometimes in slow-motion, sometimes synchronized between the actors but always with the booming drama of the music; a great way to slow everything down and yet build the tension for the next scene.
Early in the play it became clear that the four on stage at the start were to be the entire cast of the play. For those that don’t know, Julius Caesar has a large cast. So how were the ‘fantastic four’ going to get through this without spreading utter confusion? Well they managed and they managed very well. Not sure if they stuck strictly to the words of the play, as on more than one occasion a new scene was started with one actor addressing another by name when he had just played the role of another character in the previous scene. But I could be wrong about that, maybe that is the way it was written. Whatever the case, there was no confusion about who was playing who. All four must be commended for bouncing seamlessly from Portia to Mark Anthony or Cassius to Calpurnia, Caesar to Octavius, referred to as Caesar, just to stump those not paying attention because of course he was, because that became the title of the Emperors and lastly of course Brutus to, well Brutus. Perhaps he was somebody else early on but it didn’t really matter if you forgot. In fact it would only prove how good they were if you did.
The props, all cloth were used for everything. And the death toll of the many murders and suicides was racked up with sheets on hooks hung ominously along the back of the stage as the proceedings unfolded.
The lights and shadows were used effectively and sparingly, giving the whole a range of dazzling, dark, secretive or stormy looks which were fitted perfectly to the individual scenes.
On the whole a well thought out, well acted and well directed performance.
A Rag and Bone Theatre Production
Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar at The Hen and Chickens Theatre 4 - 7 June 2025
BOX OFFICE
https://www.unrestrictedview.co.uk/julius-caesar/
DIRECTOR
Directed by Anna Blackburn (Winner London Pub Theatre’s Special Commendation for Excellence with her version of The Tempest for Burnt Orange Theatre)
CAST
British-Chilean Louis Cruzat, (who recently performed with Steven Berkoff and was the lead in Mary & Mietek which won Best Black Box production at the London Pub Theatre Awards).
Minnesotan actor Greta Hansen, (who last year worked with Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy in The Gorge and in Adam Deacon’s Sumotherhood).
German-Italian actor Clio Carrara (who led the surreal Slow Death of a Lotus Flower at the Drayton Arms Theatre).
and Arnold Patrick Lumu features, (Ugandan graduate of Guildhall who was a part of the immersive production of 1984 at Hackney Town Hall).
COMPANY
This collective is coming together to create the first offering from Rag & Bone Theatre, a new company focused on reframing classical narratives for modern audiences.
